Army to use ‘battle techniques’ to help vaccine rollout

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, speaking at a coronavirus briefing at Downing Street yesterday, said the Army will be used to keep up the pace of the vaccine programme.

Almost 1.5 million people have now been vaccinated against the disease and the Government said it intends to give everyone in care homes a jab by the end of January.

Mr Johnson told the briefing: “We’ve now vaccinated 1.26 million people in England, 113,000 in Scotland, 49,000 in Wales and 46,000 in Northern Ireland.

“So, all together, nearly 1.5 million people across the UK have now received their first dose and within two to three weeks all of them will have a very considerable degree of immunity.”

He said the Army will be using “battle preparation techniques” to boost the vaccination programme as part of an “unprecedented national effort”.

“We will defeat this pandemic together,” he said.

Brigadier Phil Prosser, speaking at the press conference. Picture: PA

Brigadier Phil Prosser, commander of military support to the Vaccine Delivery Programme, told the press conference that the “mission” for the Army is to support the NHS and to work “shoulder to shoulder” with them to “minimise the number of deaths, as quickly and as safely as possible”.

He said the team will draw on its logistics knowledge from previous military operations to help roll out the vaccine.

He added that the plan has “many challenges” and that the Army has The Army has to make sure vaccines are available across the UK and, in the case of the Pfizer vaccine, to be stored at -70C.

The Army plans to distribute vaccines as soon as it receives them.

Brigadier Prosser added: “It needs to be in arms, not on shelves.”

Earlier this week, Colchester Garrison said its troops will be ready to help with the rollout of coronavirus vaccines if and when called upon.

The Garrison is home to 16 Medical Regiment who have already deployed to help with Covid-19 efforts in the Falklands during the crisis.